Parliament Question: Assessment of Television and Radio Broadcasting Coverage in Tamil Nadu

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2874 (TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.08.2026) ASSESSMENT OF TELEVISION AND RADIO BROADCASTING COVERAGE IN TAMIL NADU 2874. DR. KALANIDHI VEERASWAMY: Will the Minister of INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has conducted any assessment of television and radio broadcasting coverage in the coastal, island and remote regions of Tamil Nadu including the districts of Ramanathapuram, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Thoothukudi, Kanniyakumari and other underserved areas; (b) the details of Doordarshan and All India Radio transmitters functioning in Tamil Nadu, district-wise along with their coverage, capacity and operational status; (c) whether the Government has received any requests from the State Government of Tamil Nadu or public representatives for improving broadcasting infrastructure in these regions and if so, the details thereof along with the action taken thereon; (d) the steps taken by the Government to strengthen broadcasting services in coastal and island areas for dissemination of cyclone, tsunami and other disaster-related early warnings; and (e) the details of funds allocated and utilised during the last three years for expanding broadcasting infrastructure in Tamil Nadu?ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (DR. L. MURUGAN) (a) to (e): Prasar Bharati is operating "DD Free Dish", a multi-channel Free-To-Air Direct to Home (DTH) service whose signals are received throughout the country, including the districts of Ramanathapuram, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Thoothukudi, Kanniyakumari and other areas of Tamil Nadu. Apart from all the Doordarshan channels including DD Tamil, 48 channels of Akashvani are also available on DD Free Dish. Most of the area of Tamil Nadu is covered by 16 Akashvani stations functioning in the State, with a total of 27 transmitters comprising 7 Medium Wave (MW) and 20 FM transmitters. The updated district-wise details along with their coverage, capacity and operational status is available on Prasar Bharati website. There are 3 Kendras with Studio Facility, namely, DDK Chennai, DDK Madurai and DDK Coimbatore, functioning in Tamil Nadu. Government of India launched the revamped DD Tamil channel on 19th January 2024. It is a 24x7 dedicated television channel. DD Tamil broadcasts programmes in Tamil language covering art, culture, literature, history, heritage, traditions, eminent personalities, and people- centric content. It also broadcasts news and current affairs related to the state of Tamil Nadu. It is available in HD through DD Tamil HD, and both channels are carried on DD Free Dish. WAVES OTT platform also provides live streaming of various Doordarshan and Akashvani channels, along with channels of private broadcasters. More than 260 Akashvani channels are available on “NewsOnAir” mobile app, including 17 channels of different Akashvani stations situated in state of Tamil Nadu.Doordarshan Kendra, Chennai, through its Regional News Unit, disseminates timely weather information through regular news bulletins and social media platforms. Weather forecasts and advisories issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the State Department of Revenue and Disaster Management are regularly broadcast, with special bulletins telecast during cyclones and other natural disasters. IMD weather updates are also disseminated through Prasar Bharati's multimedia news wire service, PB SHABD (Shared Audio Visuals for Broadcast and Dissemination), which has over 3,500 registered media subscribers. In addition, weather alerts are broadcast through Akashvani transmitters covering the coastal areas, ensuring wider dissemination of critical information. Government has approved a Central Sector Scheme “Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development (BIND)”, for development, modernization and upgradation of broadcasting infrastructure of Doordarshan and Akashvani, for period up to 31.03.2027. Under the BIND Scheme, projects amounting to Rs 27.17 Cr for Akashvani and Rs 23.73 Cr for Doordarshan have been approved in Tamil Nadu for strengthening broadcasting infrastructure. *****